Grass fire narrowly misses home, scorches acres of land

Dan Boydston on Monday afternoon went to the back of his southeast Topeka home to burn a couple of newspapers.

He turned his back, and the next thing he knew, his yard was engulfed in flames. The fire tore through his grass like it was doused in gasoline, he said.

“That wind,” Boydston said, looking over his scorched yard, 2124 S.E. 37th. “All of a sudden, it was just like it is now.”

The flames left behind at least two acres of blackened grass, stretching from the eastern front of his property clear to its back edge and into the vacant lot behind him.

The call went out at 2:44 p.m., and firefighters cleared the scene about an hour later. The call initially was reported a structure fire, and five fire engines responded. However, except for some warping on the side of Boydston’s house and some damage to a neighboring fence, most of the fire stuck to the ground.

Boydston said the grass would grow back within the next couple of months, and he was grateful the flames didn’t reach his garden, where he grows his prized homegrown tomatoes.

“You turn your back and everything is burning around you,” he said. “I’m going to have nightmares.”

Battalion chief Eric Bauer didn’t know whether any fines would be levied against Boydston, but he said a fire investigator was on scene.

The Topeka Fire Department has a policy against issuing tickets for illegal burning on the first offense, said Fire Marshal Michael Martin.

“Our policy is to give warnings to people and educate them on Topeka’s burning policy,” he said.

If a problem persists, he said, fines for illegal burning can climb as high as $499.

It is illegal to burn outside in the city of Topeka until April 15, Martin said. Burn permits for Topeka properties aren’t even available until April 1.

“Even though you may see spring burning in the county before then, it’s not allowed in the city of Topeka during designated times and dates,” he said.

Just 15 minutes before the incident on 37th, firefighters battled a different out-of-control grass fire across town near N.W. Button and Lower Silver Lake Road. Railroad workers were working on the tracks, and the grinding produced sparks that caught the grass on fire, Martin said. Firefighters worked the scene from about 1:20 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., he said.

Although northeast Kansas has seen some moisture this winter, the conditions still are dry. People need to be cautious when lighting fires, especially when wind is a factor, he said.

“The wind today wasn’t too bad,” Martin said, “But as spring comes, it can come up on you pretty quick.”